tripartite & comprehensive system

• when was the tripartite system introduced?

  -1944 education act

  -happened to focus on meritocracy & achieved status
• the tripartite system

  -all pupils would take an 11+, their results would determine what school they went to

  -the schools were: grammar schools; secondary modern schools and technological schools
• grammar schools

  -provide selective academically challenging education

  -aims to prepare students for higher education

  -focus on academic subjects e.g., MFL

  -pupils got in these schools if they performed well in the 11+

  -the curriculum focuses on critical thinking and has been criticised for favouring children from affluent backgrounds, social class bias
• secondary modern schools

  -less academic, more practical education

  -prepares pupils for the workforce, puts a focus on vocational skills

  -curriculum includes subjects like woodwork as well as more traditional subjects (english & history)

  -11+ is biased to affluent children so less affluent children are likely to go to these schools
• technological schools

  -gives pupils a specialised vocational education and helps train them for specific industries

  -curriculum is hands-on and more practical than in other schools

  -partnered with local industries

  -for people who were not academics

  -criticised for limiting opportunities
• 11+ results relating to the school pupils would go to

  Pass (well): grammar schools

  Pass/fail: secondary modern schools

  Fail: technological schools
• comprehensive schools

  -1960s: focus on equality of opportunities

  -aimed to educate all children regardless of their ability and have all children in the same type of school

  -aimed to stop selection but it is argued that covert selection still happens
• covert selection

  Tough & Brooks (2007):

  -expensive uniforms

  -don't publicise to poor neighbourhoods

  -faith required (MC = more religious)

  -make prospectus hard to understand